Blog Assignment #10

The cartoon above can be found in John T. Spencer's Blog. Often people will buy the less expensive item. Well, it is less expensive, but are you going to need to buy another before you would have to with the more expensive one? If so, how much price difference is there really? I understand people buying cheaper paper towels or other toiletries because no matter what you get you will run out about the same time as the other (if they are about the same size). When it comes to technology you really have to weigh the options. When I was looking at getting a new computer I really did not want to pay so much for a MacBook, but when I looked at it and the alternative I realized in the long run I would save money because I got the MacBook. You have to look at the big picture rather than the hole in your wallet.

Adventures in Pencil Integration
In Mr. John Spencer's Blog, Adventures in Pencil Integration, he is mocking the use of pencils, I think. It is very difficult for me to see the sarcasm in writing. I can always tell sarcasm verbally, but writing is what ever tone the reader has in their head. Anyway, Mr. Spencer is mocking the integration of pencils into a pre-pencil classroom.

In Mr. John Spencer’s blog post Why Were Your Kids Playing Games? He tells a story of a conversation between a teacher and their principal. Mr. Spencer says the teacher was called into the principal’s office. He was caught playing games with his students that day. The teacher does everything he can to explain that even though the students appeared to be playing a game they were actually learning, but the principal kept cutting him off.

The principal seems to have his mind made up. The principal reminds the teacher of the last professional development day and the lessons taught. He reminds the teacher that strictly memorization type activities should be focused on and there is no time for games.

My first reaction to this is how can a principal be so uneducated? Playing games and hands on experience is how many of us learn. Most children retain what they have learned in games and such better than just sitting a trying to memorize it. As Dr. Strange expresses, this is a classic example of burp back education. When I read this the first time I did not realize the "theme" of this Blog.

It has taken me a while to chose another post to talk about because I don’t get it. I don’t really understand what this blog is trying to say. Everything is just so out of this world that I am having a hard time to chose one I understand and like the message.

I chose the post Avoid Social Networking. Again this blog is very sarcastic so I cannot tell if this story is more on the true side or not. So, the story starts out where the HR representative explains to them at the staff meeting, "From now on, teachers must avoid any site that allows for social networking with students." Each teacher expresses some sort of instance that they see students outside of school and the final conclusion met is, “Perhaps we'll simply pass a rule that you cannot interact with a student at all outside of school."

I find this very sad. I always loved seeing my teachers outside of school. It made it more real to me that they also had family and a life outside of school. Some of my teachers were my coaches for varies sports or dance teams. When I was young enough to trick-or-treat we always went to our teachers’ houses (they gave the best candy).

Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?

In the post, Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?, Dr. Scott McLeod is telling teachers and parents not to let their kids use technologies of any kind. He goes on begging them not to let them get on the web and so on. Then in conclusion he says, “'cause I'm doing all of it with my kids can't wait to see who has a leg up in a decade or two can you?” In this it just shows that he really does want children to be taught these things, BUT the children must be taught the risks of the web and other technological things.

Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., is known as one of the nation’s leading academic experts on K-12 school technology leadership issues.He is author of the blog "Dangerously Irrelevant". He produced the "Did You Know" series. He is also the director of CASTLE (UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education). You can find a complete bio about him here.